A Maesteg woman is in the running to be named Miss British Empire 2014 after beating off competition from 10 other girls to take the crown in the pageant’s Welsh heats.

Having only entered the world of pageantry earlier this year, Lauren Jones wowed judges in interview, swim wear, evening wear and party wear rounds at the beauty pageant in Bridgend’s Best Western hotel at the weekend.

Alongside runner-up Jade Colcombe, who hails from the Rhondda, 20-year-old Lauren will now go on to represent Wales at the grand finals in London in October.

“I was completely shocked and overwhelmed to have won,” said Lauren, who works as a pharmacy technician at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

“I entered Miss Wales at the start of the year, and I entered Miss British Empire because I just wanted to improve on my performance.

“Obviously I dreamed I would win one day, but I never thought I actually would.

“I’ve got a picture of my reaction when they called out my name, and you can see how shocked I am.”

The aspiring TV presenter said pageantry has given her a huge confidence boost, and praised the event organisers for helping to empower the participants.

“I’ve always been fairly confident,” she said, “but if you speak to any of the girls who take part, even the more shy ones, they will all tell you how much the competition boosted their self esteem and gave them the courage to get up on stage in front of all those people.

“I’m a bit nervous for the final now, because there will be competition from all over the British empire so it will be pretty daunting, but with the help of Katie, last year’s winner, over the next two months, I’m confident I’ll be prepared to take on the challenge.”

The event at the weekend, which was organised by Miss British Empire 2013 Katie Hulland from Swansea, raised a staggering £1,826.40 for the LLMF (Leukaemia, lymphoma, melanoma fund) charity, and Lauren said she hopes to continue raising money for them as well as choosing another small, local charity to support in the coming year.

She is also hoping to attend local events to drum up support ahead of the London event, and anyone wishing to book her for an appearance can contact her on 07881389998 or via Lauren-801@hotmail.co.uk.